Why I had so many kids . . .

It is time for my reading of that wonderful book, " I should have seen it coming when the Rabbit Died" by Teresa Bloomingdale.  I read this book once every couple of years.  I can relate to so much of what this wonderful mother says about her family.  I even named the blog after my favorite line in the book, the very last line of the book.  I wrote about that in 2007, it is worth the read again.  Click here to get to it.

"The joy of teaching a baby to walk and talk is an indescribable one, enhanced only when there are older children to share that joy with. If there is anything more inspiring than watching a new baby sleeping in his crib, it is watching an "old baby" watching the new baby sleeping in his crib. A two year old standing on tip-toe, peeking into the crib; a four-year-old on hands and knees, laughingly trying to teach the baby to crawl; a six-year-old sitting beside the baby's bed, thoughtfully considering the intricacies of a tiny baby's ear; an eight-year-old trying to teach his baby brother how to hold a football; a ten-year-old tenderly placing her favorite doll in baby sister's bassinet; a twelve-year-old awkwardly and surreptitiously lifting his baby sister from her crib for a quick but loving hug . . . these are the things that make motherhood wonderful and will, I hope, explain once and for all, Why I had so many kids."

Once again I find myself relating to what this author says.  If you only have one it might be something you will not understand until you see that child with a child of his/her own.  The love does multiply.  I used to worry that I loved Pooker too much and there was no way I could even begin to love Goobers that much.  It was Pooker that taught me that all the kiddos would just pass it on.   Pooker loved Goobers before she was born.  She was three and half and talked to her constantly while I was pregnant.  Then when the baby finally came it was her that loved this child non-stop.  She would watch her, play with her and teach all the time.  In turn both responded the same way with Bear, then with Sugar, etc. etc.

Some people in the world will never understand the joy of a big family.  For that I am so sorry.  I wish everyone could feel the love that siblings can have for each other.  I know that God's love must be an awful lot like being loved by a ton of older siblings. 

When God decides to Bless us with more, I sometimes worry and forget to trust in his plan.  It is in the moments that the author describe that I can most see the beauty of his plan.  Thank you God for not listening to me and my worries but knowing that I would thankful for each blessing, no matter what.